Modern consumer electronics, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants, and location based services devices, as well as enterprise electronics, such as servers and storage arrays, are packing more integrated circuits into an ever shrinking physical space with expectations for decreasing cost. Numerous technologies have been developed to meet these requirements. Some of the research and development strategies focus on new package technologies while others focus on improving the existing and mature package technologies. Research and development in the existing package technologies may take a myriad of different directions.
One proven way to reduce cost is to use package technologies with existing manufacturing methods and equipments. Paradoxically, the reuse of existing manufacturing processes does not typically result in the reduction of package dimensions. Existing packaging technologies struggle to cost effectively meet the ever demanding integration of today's integrated circuits and packages.
In response to the demands for improved packaging, many innovative package designs have been conceived and brought to market. The multi-chip module has achieved a prominent role in reducing the board space. Numerous package approaches stack multiple integrated circuit, package level stacking, or package-on-package (POP). Known-good-die (KGD) and assembly process yields are not an issue since each package can be tested prior to assembly, allowing KGD to be used in assembling the stack. But stacking integrated devices, package-in-package, or combination thereof have system level difficulties.
There is a demand for module packages and package stacks that are able to integrate multiple components and sub-modules, which are pre-tested to minimize occurrence of gross component failure. A component may be discarded when defective (untested) components are blindly integrated with other devices within a system in package (SiP). Various methods have been proposed such as existing methods for package-in-package (PIP) or POP, but most come with limitations in number of components and lack the flexibility to package many different components.
Thus, a need still remains for the integrated circuit package system providing low cost manufacturing as well as flexibility for different stacking configurations, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to save costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures, adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.